Chestnuthill, Jackson, Eldred and Ross townships are moving closer to approving a CJER Regional Comprehensive Plan, after a hearing Thursday night at the West End Volunteer Fire Company in Brodheadsville.

A vote on the plan was delayed until May 1 after the CJER Regional Comprehensive Committee heard questions raised by committee members and the public.Christine Meinhart Fritz, senior planner from the Monroe County Planning Commission, said in 1968, the Pennsylvania legislature passed Act 247, the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, which enables local governments to develop comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, subdivision and land development ordinances, and official maps.In 2000, Pennsylvania adopted amendments to the municipalities planning code to allow municipalities to work together to plan across municipal borders using "smart growth principles" and specifically enabled the creation of joint municipal comprehensive plan, which can address both development and preservation issues with the flexibility of allocating land uses over the entire planning area. A joint comprehensive plan allows for regional coordination of transportation and community facilities issues, which helps to prevent overlapping of municipal resources.Project began in 2002Eldred Township supervisor and secretary Sharon Solt said the four townships began meeting in 2002 to form a regional group and adopt a comprehensive plan. Polk Township had been invited to join and initially declined, but recently agreed to become a member. The comprehensive plan will be known as CJERP.The committee has been meeting once a month since 2002 with Carson Helfrich of Community Planning and Management LLC. He has reviewed each township's SALDO and zoning ordinances. The CJER plan was adopted in 2006."The plan is an agreement to work in unity and cooperatively in land planning," Solt said. "Carson went through all four of our township zoning terms and definitions and came up with unified terms and definitions that would work for all four townships so they are more cohesive," Solt said.Shared usesA list of 24 shared uses was compiled, including: adult business; agriculture products processing; animal shelters; bulk fuel storage facility; concentrated animal feeding operation; correctional facility; distribution center/truck terminal; flea market, outdoor; industrial wastewater treatment facility; industry; junk yard; kennel; mineral processing; mobile home park; power plant; race track; recycling facility; resource recovery facility.The shared uses list means that if any of the uses on that list already exist in one of the townships, then the other townships do not have to allow them. For example, an adult business already exists in Jackson Township, so none of the other townships would have to allow one."The committee has already agreed on these. Now each planning commission will review them and forward their recommendations to the supervisors," Solt said.Ross Township was the only one that had not reviewed them because of a weather conflict the night of their last scheduled meeting.Questions from residentsThe lay manager for Lehigh Cement LLC expressed some concerns about Ross Township wanting to change its industrial zone to a rural resource zone. He was assured that the change in zones would not affect the business.Robert Boileu of Eldred Township's planning commission wanted a line deleted, and he thought there should be an additional 10 to 15 shared uses added to the current list.Eldred Township Supervisor Mary Ann Clausen thought there were some ambiguities in regard to the shared uses.Eldred Township resident Vernon Barlieb said he thought there should have been more attempts to make the comprehensive plan available to the public with a better understanding of what it was all about.Chestnuthill Supervisor Chuck Gould said it has taken the committee three years to get to this point."There have been dozens and dozens of public meetings on this. I would ask you to talk to your neighbors and get the word out," he said.Helfrich said drafts of the comprehensive plan can be viewed at each of the townships' offices.Jack Rader, Jackson Township supervisor, said none of the township's zoning ordinances have changed."We've changed terms and definitions to make them unified and we've added the 24 shared uses," Rader said.The committee will review all the questions and comments made before the next public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at the West End Volunteer Fire Company in Brodheadsville.The proposed CJER regional comprehensive plan is available at township offices. Eldred and Jackson townships have provided them on their websites:

www.eldredtwp.org and www.jacksontwp-pa.gov.